1. Field of Invention
The present invention is directed toward a slip-over sleep mask, having a tubular-shaped body consisting of a soft cloth or fabric material, which is to be used to effectively block out any light from entering a person's eyes while sleeping. The sleep mask is to be slipped over and worn around a person's head, as one piece, covering the eyes, ears, top portions of the nose, as well as portions of the sides and back of the head. Permanently attached to the inside lower frontal portion of said tubular-shaped body is a separate ruffled or pleated piece, or pieces, of soft cloth or fabric material. This attached material, due to its design and location on the mask, fills in any gaps of space that exist in the lower areas between the eyes and nose of a person's face, thus creating a blockage to light. Without this said attached material, the mask would otherwise allow for any unwanted rays of light to enter inward into a person's field of vision through the said lower areas between the eyes and nose. These are areas that other sleep masks, presently available on the market today, fail to completely fill in and block from the light. The one piece, slip-over design, of the sleep mask of the present invention, enables the body of the mask to stretch and cling naturally and comfortably to a person's face and head, thus preventing any movement or shifting of itself during sleep. This same one piece design also eliminates the need for the use of any noisy, uncomfortable straps or bulky connectors that are presently used with other sleep masks marketed today. These straps and connectors are usually located at the sides or back of the head and could cause discomfort to a person while trying to sleep, especially during the normal movements of that person's head against a mattress or pillow. Related sleep aids that are currently marketed today utilize the above mentioned fastening methods, involving the noisy, uncomfortable straps or bulky attachments, to affix the sleep aid to the head. These straps and attachments have a tendency to break or come apart.
An additional result achieved by the use of the present invention is the containing and controlling of a person's hair while sleeping. If the hair on a person's head is too frizzy, unruly or in a state of experiencing too much volume, the natural stretch and cling fit of the sleep mask of the present invention helps to lightly compress the hair, keeping it in a more conformed and organized shape.
There is also a third result achieved by the use of the present invention. Since the ears of a person are also covered while wearing the slip-over sleep mask of the present invention, any surrounding noise levels that could disrupt a person's sleep are reduced.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are two other products available today that may seem similar in design, to the above mentioned present invention, but differ in overall construction and in problems that they set out to solve. One such invention is the Therapeutic Sleeping Aid Device (U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,285). This invention can be worn over the head in the form of a wrap but includes a far infrared radiation material which permeates into the skin of a human being. Another such invention is the Sound Muffling Sleep Mask (U.S. Pat. No. D465,234). This is a mask that does not consist of a one-piece, slip-over tubular design but rather is separated, having two separate ends that are to be connected at the back of the head, forming a large-layered lump where the connection is made. Both these inventions do not include a permanently attached ruffled or pleated piece of soft cloth or fabric material which is located in the inside lower frontal portion of its main body that fills in any gaps of space that exist in the areas between the eyes and nose of a person's face which would otherwise allow for any unwanted light to enter inward. In years past, there have been numerous types of sleep masks on the market that consisted of two ends that had to be connected to a person's head by means of stapled rubber straps, cloth straps, Velcro, and clips. These commonly seen masks may have contained added pieces of cloth or fabric material attached to their lower frontal portion, where the eyes and nose areas met, but so far, there has never been a one-piece, slip-over mask, that covered the eyes and ears, with a permanently affixed piece of ruffled or pleated cloth or fabric material attached on the inside frontal portion of the mask, where the eyes and nose areas of the mask meet.